AR and VR Tools Cut Aircraft Maintenance Downtime

Northrop Grumman is using augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) tools to improve training, maintenance, and sustainment of the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft.

The company's model-based sustainment team developed Armor, a tool combining AR with predictive and fleet analytics. It gives maintainers animated, step-by-step instructions via tablet or AR goggles, allowing them to virtually explore the aircraft's interior and identify problem areas with precision.

"Armor can reduce training and labor time, keeping the aircraft operational in hours instead of weeks," said Kenney Crooks, Northrop Grumman fellow, product support.

VR training places maintenance teams in a 360-degree digital environment, allowing interaction with components that are difficult to access or costly to transport. Early results show VR training reduces repair times by up to 75%, with trainees reporting higher confidence following scenario completion.

The Learning Intelligence Tools Ecosystem (LITE), developed jointly by engineering teams in Melbourne, Florida and Redondo Beach, California, uses machine learning to help maintainers identify root causes of maintenance issues faster. LITE reduced rework in the radar pressurisation and cooling system by 67%, saving weeks of testing time.

These tools are also being applied to other platforms including the F-35 Lightning II and B-2 Spirit. Northrop Grumman has deployed over 1,000 AR solutions across its programs to date.